The present invention relates to the field of hot beverage machines, of the coffee maker type, permitting a user to collect a hot beverage either in a coffeepot, or carafe, or directly in at least one and preferably two cups preliminarily disposed in the machine by the user.
The present invention concerns more particularly a coffee maker of the mixed type comprising a housing with a filter holder provided with at least one outlet for liquid, and a retractable pouring means having at least two orifices, the position of this pouring means being selected by the user in a manner to be adapted to the type of receptacle or receptacles being utilized.
It has already been proposed, particularly as disclosed in German Utility Model Publication DE-U-9115639, to provide a filter coffee maker which permits the user to choose the type of receptacle into which it is desired to pour the hot coffee. In this device, the coffee maker comprises in a conventional manner a heating support for a coffeepot, or carafe, as well as a filter holder provided with drip-prevention means capable of being actuated by the carafe when this latter is placed on the support. In this position, the carafe displaces the drip-prevention means and permits the flow of coffee through an outlet orifice arranged in the filter holder. The coffee machine comprises in addition a filter holder on which is mounted in a movable manner a flow distributor intended to be moved pivotably into a work position by the user himself when it is desired to deliver the coffee directly into two cups and not into a carafe. The flow distributor is present in the form of a deflection plate provided with two orifices, the plate coming to activate the drip-prevention means in its working position in order to permit the flow of the coffee onto the plate and through the two outlet orifices.
Such a device could obviously permit the user to choose freely the receptacle into which he wishes the coffee to be delivered from the filter holder. However, this device adjacent to the filter holder is situated in its work position under the filter holder orifice. The user must directly manipulate a part in which hot coffee is circulating. In order to have the advantage of a better lever effect, he is led to manipulate the device preferably in its lower part, in which the hot coffee, in effect, circulates. The user thus is in danger of being burned or having his clothing soiled if coffee remains in the device.
In addition, the drip-prevention means which comes to bear on the central part of the device when the latter is in its working position requires that the user exert an effort in order to free the drip-prevention device. This effort leads to giving the movement an abrupt character, which mechanically urges in a significant manner the axis of rotation of the device. In order to better control the movement of the device, the user is led, in a preferential manner, to maneuver it with both hands. If he maneuvers the device by holding it in its central part, there is a risk that the user's fingers will strike the drip-prevention device which is coming into its closed position once the device is freed. It is thus seen that this device is not easy to use and that the user encounters risks of being burned or having his clothing stained with the coffee when maneuvering the device.
In addition, this device makes use of a mechanical assembly which is complicated and fragile. It requires in effect that the distribution device be supported by axes which are fragile and destined to be acted on frequently. Moreover, good operation of the device implies a good dimensional adjustment between the flow distribution device and the drip-prevention means which must be moved axially in order to free the evacuation orifice of the filter holder. Such an adjustment of the relative movements is not easy to obtain on an industrial scale on the one hand and is capable after several uses of becoming misadjusted, or even of experiencing deterioration.
In the European Patent Document EP-0622040 there is described a coffee maker comprising a drip-prevention means provided with two closing valves for two distinct liquid outlets, the drip-prevention means comprising a first control means capable of being activated automatically by the coffeepot when the latter is put in place, as well as a second control means capable of being activated preferably manually through the intermediary of a toothed wheel, in order to lead the drip-prevention means into a stable position for clearing the two liquid outlets. This device thus permits the user to recover the beverage in a coffeepot or in two receptacles such as cups. It presents, however, an annoyance to the user because it is not ergonomic. In effect, the action of the toothed wheel on the drip-prevention means provokes only a small displacement of the piece including the two liquid outlets. The user does not spontaneously detect the configuration in which the coffee maker has been placed and can have annoying experiences such as the flow of coffee upon premature withdrawal of the coffeepot, if the drip-prevention means has not been activated, or an apparent nonfunctioning if the drip-prevention means has been activated and the user wants to recover the coffee in one or two cups.